Essences
by EvilDementedBunny
Summary: Sasuke had positively no idea why there was a certain Hyuuga heiress sprawled across his lap. Nor did he have a single clue why said heiress was currently unconscious. And certainly, he had no explanation why she was wearing a sinfully scanty bunny suit.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** A series of drabbles, one-shots, and would-be longer stories that never made it

**Disclaimer:** The characters are famous…therefore they are probably not mine.

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><p><strong>Vanilla Cream:<strong>

Scribbling down five bold letters in long strides, Hinata flutters her weary eyes towards the dusty green counter, already brimming with customers and poorly stacked white mugs, as she sweetly smiles to the elderly man in front of her. She tucks a strand of midnight blue hair behind her ear, and cradles the plastic cup in the crook of her elbow as she quickly scrawls the shortcut abbreviations that had ingrained itself in her memories.

"Caramel hot chocolate espresso?" she echoes and passes the small gleaming plastic to another dreary looking employee, her eyes encouraging with a small apologetic smile.

"Thank you, miss". The man crinkles his eyes in a large toothy smile, and ambles to the line on the other side of the shop. As he leaves, another figure appears behind the line to fill the void in front of the counter.

She turns her pearl tinted eyes up, and sees a shock of black hair, angular features, and lips pursed in a firm taut line.

His eyes are dark, not black though, and she tilts her head to the left and wonders absently; he reminds her of something.

He coughs, and she blushes, tearing her eyes from his and sternly stares at the notebook she sits in front of her.

She smiles as sweetly as she could, brushing the weariness that clung to the edges of her eyelashes with the back of her hand, "What can I help you with sir?"

He does not wait for her to finish before telling her of his request, "Coffee. Black". His voice is terse, cold, but rich. And she swallows it as if she was gulping for air. He puts down three bills and leaves without glancing back.

She looks and lingers but she doesn't call him. There was no need to call him back, instead she smiles and turns to the next customer, her graceful, adept fingers had already written his request.

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><p>He steps out of the café, pausing only slightly to readjust the scarf at his neck, and walks away. His hands grip the cup firmly, steady, and he trails a finger across the rim. The air is cool, crisp, clean. It cuts across the gray slumbering clouds, and whispers excitedly through the buzz of city. He takes a sip and smiles.<p>

It's sweet.

Just the way he knew she would make it.

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><p>A series of random, and some not so random drabbles and one-shots. Some are long, and some are short, some are sweet, and some are bitter. Just whatever I feel in the moment.<p>

Thanks for Reading!


	2. Windsake

**A/N:** Will this make much sense? Probably not... it was supposed to be a full story... but then that never happened.

**Windsake- (prologue)**

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><p>The wind blew cold against her skin, making a chill run down her spine as she fought to contain the shivers that racked her body; the thin layers of her dress did little to protect her from the onslaught of the breeze. Walking slowly along the frigid edge of the gondola, she reached a small pale hand down to the railing, letting her soft skin glide across the ragged edges as she traced the worn lines carved into the wood. <em>Left, right, left,<em> she paced her fingers along its curves.

The sky was still a murky haze of blue and grey, and the clouds were looming over the large estate like a blanket of darkness. It was slightly drizzling, like a fine powered mist that clung to the air. The droplets of rain latched onto her, making small crystal beads that hung to her body and sparkled as the sliver light of the night sky danced off the cream ivory of her skin. The pale glow of the moon hung ethereally in the jaded sky, covered by the thin wisps of cloud, and it casted a bluish halo around her figure. Her midnight hair, usually smooth and cascading behind her back, was wet and held in a messy bun with the yellow ribbon holding the hair up dangerously loose. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head up slightly, letting the cool droplets hit her face.

"Here you are." A deep voice erupted from behind her.

She turned around slowly, her face still tilted up, as the heavy sound of footsteps padded closer to her. Opening her eyes slightly, she placed a pale hand on her forehead to stop the rain from attacking her eyes. Seeing the man in front of her, she let her lips curve upward in a small, wistful smile. He was making his way towards her, slowly, but with an air of determination and a burning look in his eyes.

He was tall, much taller than her petite frame, but with a muscular body that could make all the court ladies swoon. Thinking of it, she couldn't help her eyes from travelling to his body. The rain had made his clothes tight, and the soaked fabric hung to his chiseled muscles like a second skin. The dark navy coat, accentuated his broad shoulders, but the white tunic underneath highlighted his light complexion. Seeing his less than modest appearance, a small heat flushed into her face, and she tilted her head slightly down so he could not see the blush that was threatening to overcome her features.

"You're late." It wasn't a question. He was stating the obvious. His tone was dark and brooding, with a hint of annoyance, but she could detect a soft overlay of concern laced in his words. She gave him a small sheepish smile as she turned back to look at his expression.

Stony.

Cold.

She shivered. His face was set in a tight grimace, and she absently noticed the way his knuckles whitened around the hilt of his sword.

"I never thought you would be one to care much for time." She asked, teasingly with a small gleam in her eyes.

"I don't-" she raised a brow at this "- but, you know Father." He finished simply and turned away from her.

"I guess you're right." Sighing, she let the smile drop from her face. "What is it this time…..Uchiha-san?"

"No." Came the sudden reply. He gave her a leveled gaze as she widened her eyes in surprise. He continued with a lighter tone, a small glint of amusement in his voice "…Not Uchiha-san..." he trailed off.

"But then what should I call you…?" Her brows knitted up in confusion.

Sighing, he let a pale hand run through his disheveled hair as he breathed heavily through his nose. She was quite stubborn wasn't she? Closing his eyes, he fought back a small smile. No matter how much he asked, she never ceased to address him with such formality.

_Just once_, he thought, _call me Sasuke_. _Just Sasuke._

"Then…. How about Uchiha-kun?" She asked, her lips forming an adorable pout as she tilted her head slightly to one side. She let a small smile grace her lips again. Seeing as how that was the closest he was going to get for her to drop the formality shit, he gave a slight curt nod.

"Hyuuga-sama… we know each other far too long for you to still call me Uchiha-san," _or even kun…_ he added mentally.

She bit her lips and glanced accusingly at him for the usage of her family name. Taking her hand of the railing, and wrapping one arm around her waist, she glanced up at him through lidded eyes. _Far too long. We've known each other far too long._ Shaking the sadness and hurt out of her mind she gave him the best stern face she could muster. "Then Uchiha-kun…no Hyuuga-sama as well." She chided good naturedly, hoping her slight smile would ease the tension.

He gave her a small smirk. "Then Hinata-sama." His smirk grew at the sight of her immediate pout. _Two could play at that game_.

She gave a small huff. He could be so stubborn at times. _So very stubborn. Just like…like father._ The mirth disappeared from her face as she focused on their earlier conversation before their small banter. Turning to him, all amusement gone, "What did father want?" she asked softly. Her voice was light, but heavy all the same with a sort strange fatigue he couldn't quite discern. Hearing the tiredness in her tone, his eyes narrowed slightly. He wanted nothing more than to ease all the burdens on her shoulders.

"He requires your presence…." He paused as he saw her eyes widened "for what exactly, I do not know."

She stared at him for a second longer, searching his eyes for any sign of falseness. He averted them away. Sighing, she couldn't help feel a twinge of hurt stab her heart. All this time, he still couldn't trust her. But rather than pressing him for answers, answers she knew he would deny and maybe even outright refuse, she nodded, a small tilt of the head in understanding, before turning away to face the cool serene rippling of the water, her back against him. It was her silent cue for him to leave.

Looking at her with hardened eyes, he wavered. A part of him wanted to stay. To stay, grab her and pull her into his arms so that he could feel her against his embrace. Before he realized it, his hand was already outstretched, ready to pull her away, to runaway, and never come back. His lips turned up in a bitter smile as he retraced his thoughts. To runaway? It was a pleasant dream. But a dream nonetheless. They could never runaway. They had duties that required their presence, loyalties and promises that they could not break. They could not just get up and give away everything. _And even if they could, what made him think that she would be willing to_, he thought. What made him think that she would be willing to with _him_? The near thought of that was absurd. No matter how much he wished to tangle his fingers into her luscious midnight raven locks, or mold his body against her, or just hold her close, he would never do it. But he wanted to. Oh, Gods knew how much he wanted to. But he could never be so cruel. And with that bitter thought, he snapped his hand back, and reprimanded himself for such foolishness. Before he could make any more mistakes, and get too close, he abruptly turned on his heel, eager to get away. He lingered for a second longer before tightening his grip on the sword and stalked off into the compound of the estate once more.

She would hear the soft patter of his footsteps until they dimmed into a fainting echo, leaving her to the solitude of the wind.

Silently, she touched the rotten wood once more, ingraining its harsh texture into her memories and smiled ruefully. She would not see it again for a while. Perhaps more. Perhaps eternally. _Left, right, left,_ she whispered, barely a breath of voice and trailed the tips of her fingers across the jagged scar of her wrist. Time had worn the unsightly blemish to a soft puckered abrasion, but the smooth unusual texture of the mark still comforted her. Taking a small breath, she gently pulled the ribbon from her hair, letting the dark, glossy strands float freely in the breeze.

"It is time then".

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><p><strong>AN:** That sounded so much better in my head.. *sighs* I had completely planned this one entirely out... then wrote the prologue (sometime ago)...and yeah. I'm not sure what happened. So, instead of letting it rot somewhere off in my computer, I decided to add it to this series in hopes that maybe it might motivate me to continue with it one day.

So for the most part, Essences will contain short (probably) unrelated works, one-shots, and/or otherwise random pieces of fluff that I randomly make. But seeing how short Vanilla Cream was..it might have a second installment...maybe.

Anyway thank you for reading!


	3. Of Bunnies and Men

Honestly, Sasuke had positively no idea why there was a certain Hyuuga heiress sprawled across his lap. Nor did he have a single clue why the said heiress was currently unconscious. And certainly, he had no explanation why she was wearing a sinfully scanty, pink, body hugging bunny outfit.

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><p><strong>Title: <strong>Of Bunnies and Men

**Rating:** **T**, for language, innuendos, and possibly suggestive themes (I blame Jiraiya and Hanabi)

**Disclaimer:** Do I own Naruto? Current status- no. (It's a work in progress)

**Warning:** Goo-inducing fluff. Please beware…. And it's AU.

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><p>"N-no".<p>

There were very few times in Hinata Hyuuga's life where she directly refused anyone of anything. In fact, she could count every different instance all on one single hand, and mostly because they included denying Kiba of his dogged –no pun intended- insistence on going for any days longer than three without a bath. Not even Akamaru's puppy dog face or any semblance of a pout could deter her of her assurance to get him properly cleaned. It was hers and Shino's pact after all- and both dutifully agreed that it _had_ to be heavily enforced after one particularly _bad_ incident involving Kiba, a whole alley of cats, two cartons of milk, and an extremely irritated Kurenai. It took her days, and not to mention five bottles of shampoo, to get rid of all the cat fur. Certainly, after_ that_, she made sure her denial of his acquisition was firm and unwavering, no matter how many bloody cinnamon buns he bribed her with. Now, nibbling nervously at her upper lip, and slowly backing away from the offending object she unfortunately beheld, she would make absolute certainty that Hanabi would not get her way.

Jutting out her chin in defiance, Hanabi merely settles for a huff. "Awww, why not?" She inched the hanger closer to Hinata's face.

Shaking with embarrassment, Hinata could feel her cheeks growing warm with the familiar onslaught of blushes. She glanced warily to the side and sighed for the fifteenth time before voicing her objections again, "I meant it Hanabi. No".

"But why not!" Her younger sister crossed her arms beneath her chest and explained- incredibly sensibly if she would say so for herself, "It looks great on you!"

Hinata says nothing but chokes at her sister's exclamation, "G-great!" she stutters and flushes hotly-again. When she had asked her darling younger sister to help her find a costume for a party- an office party might she add, she had expected something… interesting. Certainly, she knew better than to even hope for it to be normal, but she was willing to try something new, exciting, spontaneous for a change. She had been cautious when she first suggested the idea, and dared not let her sister's imagination run too wild by adding, "_something nice, simple, ne?"._ But she knew her sister well enough to expect something otherwise. Maybe it would _only_ be over the top, she had reassured herself when Hanabi only smiled and agreed- too quickly now that she thinks about it. Perhaps even slightly too extravagant, and possibly- maybe with a dash of scandalous. But _this_- she can't even iterate the thing into words - this was just lunacy. Never, ever, had she expected this. This wasn't just scandalous, it was positively sinful.

Hinata chokes again as the word echoes in her head; she could practically feel her blush plastered over her. The ears she begrudgingly admits were cute- bad enough- but regrettably cute nonetheless. But the dress, and she wasn't sure if she could even call it that (if there was a minimum requirement to fabric to call it that, she was adamant that this would not pass at all), was simply, utterly just scanty. It was light pink, with the softest shade of lavender (which she would have admired if it were not the reason for her inability to breathe) lacing. The top was designed with corset like seams, and the edges were lined with layers of frills and tulle. White ribbon ran across the bustline and crisscrossed until it converged at the edges of the skirt, which was pleated and puffed with lace and pearls. The color she did not mind, nor did the lace and fabric particular bothered her, but it was the way the top was cut incredibly low into a plunging sweetheart line, and the way the skirt would end up no less than nine inches above her knee that arose the panic swelling in her chest. And she refused to even comment on the ridiculous, furry, white tail. That was downright _wrong._

"The color will go great with your complexion!" Hanabi chirped cheerfully, her eyes painfully bright and completely oblivious to Hinata's panic-induced asphyxiated state. Swallowing air through her quivering lips, Hinata tries to reason as firmly as she could, "B-but it's pink! And…lavender! And…white…"

Her voice falters when her argument reaches her ears and she realizes exactly how poor of an excuse it was. Hanabi gives her an apathetic look and gingerly shakes the dress in Hinata's direction; the pale pink frills bounce excitedly as if nodding their mutual agreement. Hinata does not retort, but instead licks her lips nervously, and twists a strand of midnight blue hair in her hands. Silence stretches for a minute as Hinata shifts her weight nervously from one foot to another and shoots apprehensive glances at the costume Hanabi had gleefully chosen.

Exerting a heavy sigh, Hanabi approaches Hinata with a tone she normally reserved for these dire situations. "Which is exactly why it will match your skin _perfectly_", Hanabi accentuates the last word by lifting the corners of her mouth into a sly smirk.

Hinata returns with wide eyes and an upraised brow, no amount of coercion would ever get her into that.

Oh how wrong she was.

Standing with his hands dug deep into the corners of his gray slacks stood one irritated, scowling Sasuke Uchiha. Sasuke was not entirely sure why exactly he was standing outside the Hyuuga residence- well …that was a lie. He knew exactly why he was here and the reason was because of one annoyingly persistent _lazy_ blond he begrudgingly called a "friend", but it wasn't that which boggled his current train of thought. No, what concerned him was why he agreed. He couldn't understand why he bothered to listen to said irritating blond in the first place.

Briefly, he questioned his state of mind when Naruto had approached him a week ago and of course being Naruto, it was accompanied with a much too-enthusiastic punch – which he countered of course- and silly grin etched on his face. Yes, he must have been drunk he decides, or at least hung-over. Because that was the only way he would have ever agreed to this. Why was he, of all people, chosen to be the Hyuuga heiress's date? It wasn't as if he even knew the girl! Well, he amended, that was a lie too. He knew her of course, he would be an idiot not to know the heiress of the Hyuuga Corporation, and he was no Naruto. But he had only seen her for a few times when his family invited their partners, and sometimes rivals, over for dinner. She was meek, from what he remembered. Painfully shy and awkwardly plain. And not to mention his date for the night.

Reminded of his predicament, Sasuke grunts with cavemen like precision. Ohhh… Naruto owed him big time- at least a hundred tomatoes -if not more. Taking his frustration out on the innocent doorbell, he jabs the white gleaming button a fourth time as he runs a hand though his raven locks. If the stupid door didn't open in three seconds he would turn around, go home, and be bloody happy enjoying his tomato juice in bed- Naruto and his dobeness be damned. As if it read his thoughts, a split second later, a squeak alerts him that the large oaken door was now opened. He scowls and runs through his lists of curses for Naruto before deliberately making his way to the center of open ballroom. He would patiently wait for his-he thought the word with distaste-date, take her to her damn party, and leave. He wasn't obliged to be kind.

Scowling even more now, he grabs the knot of his tie and pulls with irritation. She could at least have the decency to be early. And Sasuke certainly was not known to have the best patience in the world. Besides, it was Hinata, what did she had to get ready for? She would likely throw on a skirt or her suit from work. She couldn't possibly take so long. But the fact that she did pissed him off even more. He flicked his wrist upwards and counted off the ticks of his watch. _15 seconds, 30 seconds, one minute._ Aggravated, he turned swiftly on his heel, intent on leaving the premises at once. He had better things to do, namely finish his tomatoes.

Taking barely a step, he found himself colliding with the softest air he ever noticed. A small "oof" brought his attention to the young woman before him who was rubbing her head with a slight wince. He searched her face for recognition and noticed how her lilac eyes widened as she noticed the man she had just bumped into.

Navy hair, lilac eyes. Well, speak of the devil, it was the Hyuuga heiress herself. Sasuke smirked when she blushed at their proximity before he settled his eyes on her attire, or rather lack thereof. There wasn't much of an attire to look at, but Sasuke could feel his jaw unhinge itself. Well, this was at least a close replica of her. Because there was no way, absolutely impossible, for the Hinata Hyuuga, shy, conservative Hinata Hyuuga to be dressed so damn…sexy.

And was that a furry cotton tail he spied?

Sasuke lifts a perfectly sculpted brow. He was not expecting _this_. The world could have collapsed and be invaded by tomato-wielding rabbits, and Sasuke would still not have expected this. He blinks, and stares. Hinata blushes a fiery red, and Sasuke followed the hot pink of her complexion from her cheeks to her chin, down to her neck, and lower to the smooth span of skin just above the frills of her dress. Taking in the way his eyes followed down her body, Hinata felt herself overheat even more than usual. Her skin burned in mortification. Not only was she dressed in the skimpiest clothes she ever set eyes on but Sasuke Uchiha, the Sasuke Uchiha, was currently eyeing her appreciatively. Licking her lips, she struggles to regain oxygen to her brain, so that she could at least form a coherent strand of words. She had a perfectly reasonable explanation for this!

It was Hanabi! Hanabi!

Her mind screamed.

His eyes ran through her body once more. Any oxygen she recovered flew out in strangled gasps. So she reacted in the best way she could, she fainted.

With quicker reflexes then he knew he had, Sasuke caught the Hyuuga heiress just seconds before she could hit the ground. Gently, he settles her into the crook of his arm, as her head lulled back against his chest making the furry ears tickle his throat. He runs his eyes to her face, and catches himself staring at plump pink lips. They were slightly glossy, delectably colored, and he found a strange urge to know what they tasted like. Startled by his own indecency, Sasuke forces his eyes away from her face and lower to check on her breathing- he could at least make sure she was still alive. But the fall had shifted her dress slightly lower than it should have been and Sasuke was sure he was watching something much more interesting than her breathing. And the damn tail! God, it was bloody soft. He found himself, against his will he would later insist, appreciating the soft satin feel of her skin as he watched her chest rise in fall rhythmically. So engrossed in his observation of her breathing that he almost didn't register the sound of footsteps until it was too late.

"Oi- Sasuke do you see Hinata any-"

Neji stopped, looked, and convulsed. At the back of his head, Sasuke felt like palming his face against the floor, or at least running before Neji could catch him.

"Yes".

Neji lifted a brow and stepped forward, his face increasingly darkening.

Sighing, Sasuke grunted but didn't drop the heiress. He almost wanted to pat himself on the back for sounding much more collected than he thought he would. "Neji- there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for this".

"Oh no there isn't". Out of nowhere, Hanabi chirped happily.

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><p><strong>AN:**

Sorry for long wait! I know I should be updating more frequently but I am working on my other stories so please bear with me!

The other stories will be updated in this order: Precipice, Puerile, Cupid.

Anyways, thanks for reading!


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